A Magnet For All Kinds of Deeper Wonderment
by tito72
Summary: Steve and Tony become crusaders for the Omega Cause. Sequel to Handsome, Sturdy Husband. alpha!steve, omega!tony, mpreg, werewolves!au


Notes: Okay, warning for mentions of abortion again, because apparently I can't leave the issue alone. There was a comment on Handsome, Sturdy Husband where the commenter was very adamant that "social censure against abortions and abortion=murder mentality" were things that Tony would not stand for. So basically, this is my answer to that comment. Tony still thinks abortion is murder and that's his personal choice, but the social censure, that's something that's an issue for him, now that it's been brought to his attention.  
Also, there isn't any sex in this fic, which I think is something I have to warn for lol. Very unlike me to not have one single sex scene in the entire fic, but the tone was just all wrong. sorry  
Oh yeah, and the NOAR list is shamelessly stolen from the NOW-NYS website and modified to meet my needs. Needless to say, I've never started a chapter for a nonprofit organization, so cut me some slack here  
title from "Wunderkind" by Alanis Morissette

"I can't stand this," Steve says, sitting down next to Tony at the head table.

Tony looks up from where he's been picking at his cake. "That's generally not a good feeling to have at your own wedding," he says casually. "I might start to think the love is gone."

"Never," Steve says at once with his serious tone. "Tony, I love you, you know that."

"I do, as a matter of fact," Tony concedes, grinning at his husband. "Which is why I'm comfortable joking about it." Actually, it might be a little mean of him to joke about something like that, he reflects. After all, Steve is the one who has been pining after Tony for years and years while Tony slept around and ignored him. "Steve," he says, grabbing the 'wolf's hand. "We're in love. You know it and I know it. What else matters?"

"They're talking about you," Steve says gravely. "Have you heard the things they're saying?"

In fact, Tony has. In the three months since Steve and Tony have been officially married, Tony's pregnancy pheromones have become stronger and stronger, to the point that anyone within a ten foot radius can smell him. Tony doesn't mind, kind of likes all the sideways looks he's been getting. Never let it be said that Tony Stark disliked attention. Also, he's started to show in the last couple of weeks, just barely, but with the tight clothes he likes to wear, it's pretty obvious. Needless to say, he's been providing more gossip fodder than usual lately.

"Yeah, so?" he asks.

"They're calling you easy, Tony," Steve says, and Tony can tell this is really distressing him. "They're saying you're a slut for having sex before marriage and that you got pregnant on purpose to trap me into marrying you."

Tony can't help it, he laughs. "Okay, first of all," he says, putting his fork down. "Are they missing the part where we were engaged for four years before we got married? I didn't need to trap you, you were pretty much a sure thing. And if anything, you trapped me. I'm the one with the title as his dowry. But also, they're right, Steve, I am a slut who had sex before marriage. Did you forget about that?"

"It's not right," Steve insists, still not smiling. "No one's saying anything at all about me having sex before marriage or acting like I tried to scam my way into the title. They're just saying it because you're, you know…"

"An omega?" Tony provides. "Of course that's why, Steve. Haven't you ever heard of a double standard? Alphas are allowed to fuck all the pretty little omegas they want, but the minute an omega spreads their legs they're getting hell for it. That's why omegas can't hold the title, because in the end, they're all sluts that are only good for one thing."

"And it's bullshit!" Steve says, loud enough to draw the attention of a few couples nearby. Tony shushes him and gives the guests a polite nod. After a minute, they turn back to their own conversations.

"It's bullshit," Steve repeats, quieter this time. "What the hell is wrong with people that they can't see how hypocritical it all is?"

"Well, you'll be Alpha someday," Tony says in what he really hopes is a soothing voice. "You can do something about it then."

"That's not good enough," Steve says and he's got a fire in his eyes, one that Tony's never seen before. In all those years of thinking Steve was boring, he's never seen him like this before. "We need to do something about it now, Tony. We have to fix this!"

As usual, Tony's mouth speaks before his brain can think it through and he says, "Well, we could always start a protest movement," without actually meaning to.

Steve smiles at him, so happy and proud and glowing from the inside that Tony doesn't dare take it back. "Okay," he says, touching Tony's cheek with his free hand. "Let's do that."

Thus begins the adventures of Steve and Tony: Omegas' Rights Protestors. They don't do anything just then or during their two-week honeymoon in Paris (during which time Tony makes so many jokes about the werewolf capital of the world that Steve takes to kissing him to shut him up). When they get home, though, and after they get back into the groove of going to work again, they sit down together in front of the bay windows one night to write a plan.

"Okay," Steve says, holding a pen and a notebook like the old-fashioned bore that he is. Tony had argued for actually making this list useful by putting it into a tablet, but Steve is the one writing, so he claimed the right to make the final decision. "What are our goals here?"

"Well," Tony says, considering. "I mean, omegas have the right to vote, own property before and after marriage, go to college, and make legal decisions. So I guess the only thing left really is holding public office."

"And abortion," Steve adds, busy scribbling down the things Tony listed off.

Tony glances at him sharply. "Abortion?" he repeats, and he can hear the skepticism in his tone. "You don't believe in abortion."

"Neither do you," Steve says, still writing. "That's not the point. The point is, it should be an option for omegas who want to make that choice and it's not. What if you and I hadn't wanted to keep the pup? You'd have had to go off-reservation and the Alpha would have disowned you for it, even if it was my idea. That's not okay, Tony."

"You're right," Tony says slowly. It hadn't been an issue for him, so he assumed it wasn't an issue for anyone. Well, no one would argue against the fact that he's self-centered. "Okay, so abortion."

"Also rape," Steve adds. "The rape laws here are ridiculous. Like, why the hell do you have to be able to prove you struggled for it to count as rape? Or how about the fact that if you've ever had sex before it counts against you, even if it was with a totally different person? It's bullshit!"

"Why do you know all that?" Tony asks, because Tony certainly hadn't and he's the one that's actually, you know, at risk for that kind of thing.

"The pup might be an omega," Steve says rather shyly. "And even if it isn't, you are. It's an alpha's job to watch out for the omegas in his life."

"That's sweet, Steve," Tony says. "But I can take care of myself." It's not a front; he really can. At the very least, he's got the teeth and claws of a wolf, and he's quick, to boot.

"I know you can," Steve says and he's not being condescending about it, which is one of the reasons Tony loves him. "But I love you and I want you to be safe."

"I want that for me, too," Tony says, flippant as usual but he hopes Steve hears the adoration there, too. He thinks about initiating sex, has been insatiable since the pregnancy started, but he knows this is important. It's important to Steve, certainly, and for all that Tony doesn't really have the spirit of an activist, he believes in the cause with all he's got. That's why, instead of leaning in to kiss Steve, he scoots back in his chair. "So what are we going to do about it?" he asks.

Steve's got a plan, of course, because that's the kind of 'wolf he is, just one of the reasons he'll make a wonderful Alpha someday. "We need to find out if there are other people out there who have the same goals as us. If there are, we need to contact them, see what we can do to help. And if not, we'll have to start our own organization, see what we can accomplish on our own. Either way, I'd like to have some kind of local headquarters here that we can work out of. If that has to be our house, so be it. But first, before any of that, we need to go to the Alpha and ask if he'd be willing to go to the Council and ask them change the Pack Law."

"That's a dangerous game, babe," Tony says. "Howard's not going to agree to that. He's a traditionalist and the Council is the same. No way they're going to just legalize abortion or change rape laws without being forced. And changing the line of succession, forget it!"

"I know it's a longshot," Steve admits. "But we have to do this first before we go behind his back and try to get the laws changed on a national level. I don't think he'll disown us, though. You've said it yourself before, even an insubordinate heir is better than no heir at all. And in the meantime, why don't we try to see if we can find any omegas' rights groups on the internet."

"That's easy enough," Tony says, reaching for his tablet on the window sill (set there to be handy, just in case Steve changed his mind about the pen and paper thing). It only takes him a minute or two to find a likely looking site. "Look here," he says, twisting the tablet around so Steve can see the site. "This group is literally called National Association for Omegas' Rights. NOAR. Never heard of them, but they look legit. See, there's even a phone number and an email address and everything. Looks like they're headquartered in DC. Or hey, even better, here's a branch just for New York State, headquartered in Albany. We could give them a call tomorrow, see if we can set up a meeting or something, ask if they've got any local chapters."

"Okay," Steve says, excitement all over his face and in his voice. "Tomorrow, I'll set up a meeting with the Alpha and you call these people and see if you can get a meeting with them. No matter what the Alpha says, we can take a few days off and head out to Albany to see what's what. Sound good?"

"Sounds perfect," Tony says, excited too, despite his misgivings about what Howard's reaction might be. He sets his tablet back down and stands, grabbing Steve's hands in his. "Now let's go celebrate."

"Right behind you," Steve says.  
Not yet, Tony thinks wickedly, but he will be.

It takes Tony longer than usual to get out of bed the next morning. He's not like Steve, who springs out of bed every day with the sun, ready to greet the day. Tony's always been kind of a night owl, staying up late and sleeping the mornings away. It's been worse than normal these last few months, though, and he's been sleeping in later and later. He's got a theory that the pup's been sapping his energy or something, or it might have something to do with the fact that Tony's not allowed to drink as much coffee as he used to. Either way, he's taken to setting his alarm for the latest time possible that will still get him to work on time. And if he happens to push the snooze button a few times, well, that's what Steve's for.

"Hey," Steve says, putting a hand on Tony's shoulder and shaking gently. "You have to get up if we're going to get to work on time."

"You just go," Tony mumbles into his pillow. "I'm calling in sick."

"It's your choice," Steve says casually. "But if your father finds out you didn't go to work, you know he'll have someone come and drag you over to the school so you can tutor all day."

"I'm up, I'm up," Tony says quickly, pushing up onto his hands and knees. "But you can't make me shower."

"You know," Steve says, voice amused and warm, "when the pup gets old enough to start taking showers on his own, you're going to need to set a better example than that."

"We'll see," Tony says, because Steve might make threats, but they both know Steve loves him too much to ever try to make him change who he is. It might be a little bratty for Tony to take advantage of that, but well, Steve definitely knew what he was getting into when he married Tony.

Grumpily, Tony gets up and gets dressed, brushes his teeth and slowly eats the toast Steve brings him. He's not sure what he expected of pregnancy, wasn't sure he'd thought about it all that much, but the reality of it isn't all that exciting. Mostly Tony just feels kinda fatter than usual and a little bit nauseous. Maybe once the pup starts to move around or does something interesting, it'll be different, but until then, Tony's so over this whole thing.

Steve must be on the same wavelength as Tony, because he smiles at him as they're getting in the car and says, "You smell good."

"I smell like you, you mean," Tony counters. How dare anyone call Tony a narcissist when Steve has the nerve to go around smiling because Tony's got Steve-smell all over him.

"No," Steve says, but he looks slightly shame-faced in the way that means yes. "It's just, you smell like you're expecting. I like it."

"Are we going to talk about this weird pregnancy kink of yours or what?" Tony asks. He's been suspicious for a while, has caught Steve watching videos online of pups being born several times since they've been together and even once before that. Plus, when he and Tony moved in together, Steve had at least a half dozen pregnancy books just laying around the house. It's not that it bothers Tony, Steve having this weird obsession, especially since it means Steve's constantly touching him or leaning in to scent him, but he wishes Steve would just come out and admit it so Tony could taunt him properly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Steve says loftily, or as close as he ever comes to loftily. Actually, it sounds kind of stained, come to think of it.

"Uh huh, sure," Tony says doubtfully. "That's why I keep waking up with you all up in my grill, just inhaling like a creeper."

"I'm your husband," Steve says calmly. "That means it's not creepy, it's endearing."

"Yeah, sure," Tony says, rolling his eyes fondly. "That's like saying it's not rape if you're married."

He doesn't mean it as anything, just a throw-away comment, but Steve nearly wrecks into the car in front of them, face a mask of horrified confusion. "Tony," he says, reaching out hesitantly to take Tony's hand with the one not on the steering wheel. "You know I would never…" He trails off, obviously too distraught to even finish his sentence.

"Relax, babe," Tony says, patting his hand in what he hopes is a comforting manner. "You're overreacting. I know you wouldn't. And if, for whatever hypothetical reason, you did try to, you have to know I wouldn't just lie there and take it, Steve."

"No, you're right," Steve says, eyes on the road again. "I just… that's so messed up that it's not illegal. We have to add that to the list."

"Yeah, okay," Tony agrees. "Will do. And speaking of the list, when are you meeting with my father?"

"At lunch today," Steve answers. "I'd ask if you wanted to come along, but, well, you know how he is."

"I do," Tony says and tries not to feel bitter about it. It's not that the Alpha doesn't meet with omegas or even that he treats them especially poorly. He's too much of a politician for that, knows that for all his title is inherited, he could be overthrown and replaced in a heartbeat if the pack rose against him. Plus, the Council wouldn't stand for that, because even if he's not elected, they are, and they could be ousted in a second if all the omegas in the pack turned against them. The fact remains, though, that Howard doesn't care about what omegas have to say. He placates them with understanding words and sympathetic nods and then forgets about whatever they had to say the minute they're out the door of his fancy office. He's a traditionalist, Tony's father, and as such, believes that omegas are, or at least should be, inherently submissive to alphas. It's no wonder, really, that Tony turned out the way he did, defying expectations at every turn and obnoxiously contrary just for the hell of it.

"He's an asshole," Steve says quietly, mostly to himself.

"He really is," Tony says, words weighted with nearly eighteen years of resentment. "But look at it this way: after he buys the farm, you'll be Alpha and you'll be brilliant at it."

Steve's quiet for a long moment, then he says in a voice that's almost shy, "I'm glad you think so, because without you, I don't think I'd be able to do it."

Tony's breath catches in his throat. He can acknowledge that he's needy, that he's whiny and annoying and more than a little bit crazy. He knows he needs Steve, needs him to drive him to work, needs him to run with him under the moon, needs him to keep him in check, needs him to run to the gas station at two a.m. for Chex Mix because Tony's got a sudden vicious craving for some. Tony's under no illusions that he definitely needs Steve. But it never occurred to him that Steve might need him, too.

"Don't see how," he says casually. "We both know I'm a pain in the ass more than anything else."

"You're damn right you are," Steve says playfully. "But someone has to be. I think without you, I'd be too scared to do anything, stand up for anything. And this thing we're doing, it's going to take a lot of standing up. It's not going to be easy, especially with the Alpha against us."

"Fuck the Alpha," Tony says with conviction. "We're the future, Steve. You and me, and everybody else can suck my dick."

Steve raises an eyebrow, too used to Tony to be shocked at the phrasing, but not quite over being scandalized by that kind of thing. "You just keep your dick in your pants," he says lightly. "I'm sure we'll find another way to get what we want without you exposing yourself to the entire pack. Again."

"What can I say," Tony says, smiling at the world in general and also all the awesome things they're going to accomplish. "I'm a show-er."

"A show-off, maybe," Steve concedes. "But in the future, I'd prefer if you only showed me your ladyparts."

"Oh my God, Steve," Tony says, and he can hear the glee in his own voice. "That was downright bitchy. I think I might love you."

"I love you, too," Steve says absently, pulling into the parking lot at the company hq. Tony's a team leader, so they've got a primo spot, right by the side exit and everything. "Come on, we're going to be late."

At lunch, Tony takes a break from screwing around with schematics for a green energy high-powered engine to browse the NOAR website again. He finds a chapters list. Apparently there are over a hundred chapters in all fifty states, most on reservations, but some in regular cities, obviously catering to those 'wolves who live outside of the pack system. In New York State, there are three chapters, two on reservations and one in New York City. Three isn't bad, Tony supposes, but considering there are ten reservations in the state, there should be a lot more chapters. They could definitely do better. None of them are especially close to their reservation, either, which means there's probably an opportunity for Steve and Tony to start one. Now if only they knew how to actually go about doing that, they'd be golden.

After a bit of surfing, Tony ends up on the NOAR-NYS page and from there finds a link that says 'Start a Chapter.' That seems promising, so Tony clicks onto it. The first thing he notices is the list, titled 'Top 10 Reasons to Start a NOAR Chapter.' He reads:

1. NOAR gives omegas a structure to facilitate social changes needed to bring equality to all omegas.  
2. NOAR lets omegas know they are not alone.  
3. NOAR educates the public on issues that affect our society as a whole.  
4. NOAR chapters bring strength to the omegas' movement.  
5. NOAR teaches omegas how to organize a political movement.  
6. NOAR encourages omegas to run for political office.  
7. NOAR raises the consciousness of omegas to understand that their personal struggles are part of a greater movement to keep omegas oppressed.  
8. NOAR gives omegas the emotional strength to stand up for their rights.  
9. NOAR teaches omegas that they are all victims of discrimination.  
10. NOAR is a multi-issue organization. We "connect the dots" in the movement. A single issue does not take precedent over another. All omegas matter!

Huh, Tony thinks, re-reads the list. It makes him feel vaguely guilty for never thinking about any of these things before, but it also makes it clear that this is the site for them. Inspired, he clicks on the 'Contact Us' tab. He skims past the loosely inspirational quote, skips over the brief biography of state-wide president Phil Coulson, and jumps to the part where there's a phone number. With deft fingers, he dials it.

"National Organization for Omegas' Rights," a cheerful female voice says after two rings. "How may I direct your call?"

"Uh, hi," Tony says, slightly awkward. He's never done this before, doesn't know the protocol. "I'm looking to talk to someone about starting a chapter in my area."

"Are you reservation-based?" she asks in a sweet, professional tone.

"Yeah," he confirms.

"Okay," she says, "I'll put you in contact with one of our volunteers. Mind if I put you on hold?"

"No, that's cool," Tony says. He's not sure what he's going to say, anyway, so he could use the time to get it all sorted out in his head.

After a few minutes, another voice comes on the line, also a woman. "Hey, this is Darcy, how can I help you?"

"I want to start a chapter in my area," Tony tells her. He's got it all sorted out, now. Confidence is definitely the way to go.

"Good choice, man," Darcy says, sounding genuinely happy to hear him say that. "So, listen, here's how you get started with that. First, you give me a fax number or an email address or something and I can send you the forms. Be warned, there's a ton of them, it's all above-board and also very boring, but it's totally worth it, trust me. Then, after you've got them all filled out, you've gotta send them back so they can get reviewed and stuff. After that, someone will get into contact with you about setting up a meeting, at which point you have to drive down here to our headquarters in Albany and get the stamp of approval. How many potential members do you have right now?"

"Well, just two for now," Tony says. He and Steve only made this plan last night, haven't had time to do any recruiting just yet. "There are more, though, we just haven't gotten word around yet." There'll be Bruce, for one, and Pepper, as well. And also, Tony's sure he's got more friends around here somewhere.

"Okay," Darcy says. "Well, you're gonna need twenty, just FYI. That's the minimum number and you've got to get them all to sign the petition to start the chapter. I'll send it along with the other forms. And if you happen to encounter any legal trouble while getting the signatures, just give us a call and we'll send someone out to lend a hand. Any other questions?"

"Not right at this exact second," Tony says. He's sure he'll have more, once he gets all the forms in front of him, but for now it all sounds pretty legit.

"Fantastic!" Darcy says, sounding like she actually thinks so. "Well, then, why don't you just give me your info and I'll get the forms out to you. And then if you think of any questions, feel free to call and ask for me."

Tony rattles off his email address and the number for the fax machine down the hall, tells her to send copies by both, just in case. That's some Steve shit right there, what with the planning and everything, but no one's around to see it happen, so Tony's rep is safe. He even goes to guard the fax machine right away, because he's sort of excited about this whole thing. It's not just that it's a fun project with Steve, the love of his life, it's… it's a good thing, a good deed, and Tony doesn't have so many of those in his life. He's selfish, he's always been selfish, but this is his chance to be a better person.

And also, well, he doesn't have any proof, won't know for sure until it's born, but he's got this feeling deep down inside that the pup is going to be an omega. He hasn't brought it up to Steve, not in any serious way, because to be honest, he's a little bit worried. It's not that he thinks Steve is going to love the pup any less, he knows that would never happen. Isn't it common knowledge that alphas want alpha pups to carry on their legacy, though? Tony's pretty sure that's a thing. It had definitely been a thing with Howard, at the very least. From the moment Tony was born, his father had been disappointed. If there's anything Tony can do to keep that from happening to his pup, he's going to do it, and he thinks this whole activist thing might just be the key. And maybe that's selfish, too, or at the very least it's not exactly altruistic, but what the hell, no one ever claimed Tony was a good person.

Steve looks mildly discouraged when he gets back after his lunch meeting. He makes for his side of their office but changes his mind halfway to his chair and comes to sit on the edge of Tony's desk instead.

"Your father's a bastard," he says, shoulders slumped.

"Well, yeah," Tony says, because duh. He gets up from his chair and moves to stand between Steve's spread legs so they're nose to nose. "I don't know what you expected."

"I thought he'd give a damn," Steve says and he sounds sort of angry, sort of resigned. "I thought I could make him see how oppressive the law is toward omegas."

"I'm guessing that didn't go over so well," Tony says. He leans forward, wraps his arms around Steve and exposes his neck so Steve can scent him, because that always makes the alpha feel better. He feels it as Steve inhales deeply and then relaxes slightly.

"No, it didn't," Steve says flatly. "I don't think he understands. It's like he genuinely thinks he's doing what's best for omegas, with those laws. Like he thinks they're all delicate and need protecting and if they don't, it's because they're sluts who don't deserve it."

"Don't look at me," Tony says. "I am absolutely a slut, Steve."

"But only for me," Steve says, leaning back so he can look Tony in the face. "You only give it up for me."

"You don't know that," Tony says teasingly. "I might have lots of boyfriends all over the reservation, all of them panting for me, calling my phone day and night, waiting for me during lunch so we can have a quickie in the bathroom."

"No," Steve growls, eyes flashing. "You're mine. Just mine. And this pup's mine, too. Don't deny it, I can smell it on you."

"Prove it," Tony whispers. He's expecting the sharp nip to his shoulder through his shirt, but that doesn't stop him from shuddering into it.

"You're mine," Steve repeats, voice low and serious.

"Oh God, Steve," Tony says, and he can feel himself start to get a little bit wet. "Let's have hot and dirty wolf sex when we get home, okay?"

"Definitely," Steve agrees. "And after, we'll see what we can do about this NOAR thing."  
And that, Tony thinks, is why he loves Steve: he's got his priorities in order.

They do, indeed, have hot and dirty wolf sex after work, followed by a nap and a shower. After all that, while Steve's cooking supper, Tony digs out the paperwork the NOAR lady had faxed him earlier. There's a ton of it, including, as promised, the petition. Tony goes through the forms one by one, giving them a more thorough evaluation than he had earlier during lunch. Most of it's pretty straight-forward, lots of tax and licensing stuff, which is boring and therefore best left to Steve. There's also an application for start-up funds from the organization, which makes Tony stop and think.

"You know," he says thoughtfully as Steve puts a plate down in front of him, "this isn't going to be easy. Like, this is a full-time kind of thing. We need a website and a business plan and a whole fuckton of stuff. I think one of us might have to quit his job."

"Yeah," Steve says. "I thought of that. There's no way we're going to be able to do this, work full-time jobs and raise a pup. That's just too much. But I was thinking, if you were okay with it, that I should be the one to quit."

"What?" Tony asks, surprised. "Really?"

"Well, think about it," Steve says, pointing his fork at Tony. "And also eat, before it gets cold. But of the two of us, you're the one who gets paid the big bucks. You make at least three times what I do, and if this whole thing is going to cost as much as I think it will, we're going to need the money, especially before we get everything all set up and get people donating. Plus, and don't take this the wrong way because I love spending time with you, all I really do all day is just hang around watching you work. I mean, sometimes I go work with the marketing team, but for the most part, I'm just there in the office, waiting for you to need something drawn on paper. It's a waste of my time that could be spent doing something important, like building this chapter."

"I guess that makes sense," Tony says, looking down at the pasta he's mostly pushing around his plate. "But won't you be embarrassed to have your omega bringing home the bacon?"

"Absolutely not," Steve says firmly. "In fact, that's a selling point. That's the kind of thing we can tell people to make them see we're serious about this whole thing. Omega empowerment, right? Equality."

"Yeah," Tony says, so grateful and relieved that he's not going to have to give up his job. This stuff, it's important and he wants to be a part of it, but he loves his job so much it would have caused him physical pain to give up. He would have done it, but he's glad now he won't have to. "Plus, you can be home with the pup during the day and he won't have to be raised by a nanny. Or we could get someone in to look after him here while you work, but you'll be on-sight, so he'll know he hasn't been abandoned."

"He's never going to be abandoned," Steve says, making deliberate eye contact with Tony. "He's always going to know we love him, Tony. And once he gets a bit older and we get enough money for it, we can rent one of the empty spaces in town as an office and he can come with me there."

"Sounds good," Tony says, hopes his voice isn't as shaky as his insides feel. Steve always knows exactly what Tony needs to hear. It's not that Tony hadn't enjoyed himself when he was a pup, escaping and terrorizing his human nannies, but he won't deny that he'd felt abandoned by his parents, at least a little, for years and years. Steve, though, he's not going to let that happen and Tony won't either.

"Um, so, I guess we need to get at least twenty signatures of people pledging to join the chapter," Tony says, changing the subject to something that makes him feel less squirmy. "So I was thinking we could go out tonight and see what we can do. Our friends are a given, obviously, but we don't, you know, actually have that many of those, so we're probably going to have to ring doorbells or something."

"Good plan," Steve agrees easily. "And then tomorrow at work, I'll put in my two weeks' notice and start planning out our advertising campaign. You'll have to help me with the website, but I think between your technical prowess and my design skills, we should have it done pretty quickly. And we'll also have to run mail and e-mail campaigns. Then, once we get approved with chapter status, we'll have to start planning a big event, something to get people interested and make ourselves heard."

"Oh," Tony says, snapping his fingers. "I just remembered. Dues! We've gotta tell people when they're signing up that they have to pay dues every year. The going rate on the website said it was forty per year or a thousand for lifetime membership."

"Sounds reasonable," Steve says. "And are we letting humans join?"

"I don't see why not." Tony shrugs. "I mean, there are a good handful that live on the reservation and there are probably a few in the local cities that would be interested." Humans, as a rule, don't get involved in pack politics that often, but the times, they are a-changing.

They finish eating like that, tossing ideas back and forth, and when they're done, they get dressed to go out. Tony puts the majority of the paperwork in Steve's bag so he can review it at work tomorrow, but he grabs the petition and digs out a clipboard and a pen.

The first stop they make is to Bruce's house, because even though he's a beta, he's also a guarantee. Also, he's got an early bedtime, so it's best to hit him up before it gets dark out.

"Hey, guys," he says, looking mildly surprised to see them at his door. "Long time, no see. How was the honeymoon?" He steps aside to let them in.

"Fan-fucking-tastic," Tony says, brushing past him and plopping down on the couch. Steve takes a seat beside him and Bruce sits in the chair opposite them. "Never in my life have I gotten that much action in a two-week period."

"With you, that's hard to believe," Bruce says mildly. "So, what brings you guys up my way?"

Here, Steve leans forward, eager to give his sales pitch. "Well," he starts. "Have you ever heard of NOAR?"

"Can't say I have," Bruce says, but he looks interested enough. "What is it?"

"It's the National Organization for Omegas' Rights," Steve answers. "It's kind of a new thing, only been around for the last ten years, but it's growing. There's over a hundred chapters, but there aren't any in the area, so Tony and I are trying to get one started here."

"Omegas' Rights," Bruce repeats thoughtfully. "Huh. You know, I never even really thought about it like that before."

"Exactly," Tony says, leaning forward, too, propping himself up with his elbows on his knees. "But it's bullshit, you know? Rape law, abortion law, succession law, they all favor alphas, tolerate betas and give omegas hell."

"No, you're right," Bruce says, nodding slowly. "This seems like it'll take a lot of work, though."

"It will," Steve agrees. "That's why I'm quitting my job so I can work on it full-time."

"Oh, wow," Bruce says, clearly as surprised by the pronouncement as Tony had been. "That's a big step. Are you sure you're ready for that?"

"Positive," Steve says, voice so confident that Tony can practically feel it resonating in the air. "It's the right thing to do and I want to be the one to do it. Are you interesting in joining us?"

"You won't have to quit your job," Tony tells him quickly, grinning. "I'm not. All we need from you is a signature. And also forty bucks, but we can deal with that part later."

"Okay," Bruce says at once. "Where do I sign?"

They stay at Bruce's place for a couple minutes, bullshitting, but eventually, they move on. Pepper's place is next on the list and she looks genuinely happy to see them. Tony and Pepper generally have a standing coffee date three times a week like the real adults they pretend to be, but their schedule's been messed up lately because of the wedding and the honeymoon, so Tony hasn't just been able to spend time with her in a while.

Pepper's always been a sucker for a good cause, and since she's an omega, too, this one's near and dear to her heart. They get her to sign as soon as Steve pulls out the clipboard. She also volunteers her time and the accounting skills she learned in college, so that's definitely something. They don't stay long, have a lot more houses to visit tonight, but on the way out, Pepper pulls Tony into a hug.

"Marriage looks good on you," she says softly. "I'm glad you're happy."

"You should be," Tony bluffs. "I deserve this."

"You really do," she says seriously. "And I hope someday you actually believe that."

They end up only getting twelve signatures that first night, and since four of them are theirs and their friends', it's not very encouraging. Steve's sales pitch gets better as the night goes on and Tony's semi-celebrity status opens most doors, but they get a lot of polite refusals. It's not that people aren't interested, they're assured time and time again, but a lot of people don't have the time/money/energy to spare for the cause. There are a few alphas who are actively disinterested or even downright rude, but on a reservation of this size, everyone knows everyone, and it doesn't pay to burn your bridges.

"Don't worry," Steve says after they've given up for the night and gone home. "There are over 2,000 people on this reservation. Some of them are bound to be interested. We didn't even make it to half the town tonight and that's not even counting all the houses outside of town. Chances are, at least twenty people are interested, probably more, especially if we expand off the reservation. I'm pretty sure there are a few 'wolf families living in the human towns around here."

"Yeah," Tony agrees. They'll get the signatures, there's no doubt about that. It's just a lot of work, is all, and he's freaking tired. "There are a few 'wolf-friendly bars in the city we could try."

"I don't think they'd let you in, smelling like you do," Steve says mildly. "But you're right, we should try there. At the very least there might be a few humans interested."

"It's a plan," Tony says, yawning around his words. "Now, come cuddle with me."

And of course, Steve does.

Tony's less than surprised when he gets called into the Alpha's office the next morning. Steve gave his two weeks' notice almost as soon as they got in and by now it'll have reached Howard's desk. Tony's not Steve's keeper, not by a long shot, but it's no surprise Tony's getting the blame for this.

"Anthony," his father says sternly once the secretary's closed the door behind them. "What is the meaning of this?" He holds up a paper Tony recognizes as Steve's notice.

"It's generally custom for an employee to give two weeks' notice before he leaves his job," Tony says, straight-faced. It doesn't escape his attention that Howard hadn't invited him to sit down. This whole encounter feels strikingly like the many times Tony was called in to his father's home office for discipline as a pup.

"Yes, it is," Howard says flatly. "And it's an employer's prerogative to be suspicious about it when it happens suddenly. What have you done to him, Anthony? First he was in here yesterday spouting some hippy nonsense about omega empowerment and now this. What did you do, boy?"

"Well," Tony says carefully, pretending to think. "It must have started when I let him fuck me."

"Anthony!" Howard snaps, and Tony hates that, he hates it. "Watch your mouth! Why can't you just act properly for once? Now tell me the truth. What did you do to Steven to make him act like this?"

"I married him," Tony says and that's the absolute truth, because this whole thing started at their wedding. "And he realized that omegas get treated like shit."

"Omegas need discipline," Howard says at once, a knee-jerk response.

"You're the only one that thinks that, Dad. You and other old alphas like you. And we're going to prove you wrong, you just wait."

"I could fire you," Howard threatens.

Tony just shrugs, not bothered by the threat. "You could," he agrees. "But do you really want another company to have access to what's in my brain?"

Howard says nothing, just glares at him and seethes. Finally, after almost a full minute of terrible silence, Tony says, "I'm gonna just go back to work, now. But I'll pass along your interest in our omegas' rights organization to Steve, shall I?"

He walks away and Howard doesn't call him back.

"So how's that paperwork coming?" Tony asks a few nights later. They've finally gotten all the needed signatures, but the other forms are taking a while.

"Slowly," Steve says, not looking up from the form he's working on. "It would be easier if we were living off-reservation, I think, but trying to balance all the pack tax laws with the state and national ones is a real pain. I'm starting to think we should hire someone to take a look at these before I send them in to NOAR, so I don't make a fool of myself."

"We could always talk to Pepper," Tony points out. "She did volunteer. I mean, I know her degree isn't in taxes, exactly, but hell, she's an accountant. She's got to know more about tax law than either of us."

"Good idea," Steve says.

And that's how their NOAR chapter, still unofficial at this point, hires its very first employee. Steve doesn't count, because while he's undoubtedly the president at this point, he's not getting paid. Pepper's got a day job with Stark Industries in the finance department, but she concedes that very first night that she'd be willing to quit and work full-time for the chapter if the need was there. The need will be there, Tony's sure of it, but since they don't exactly have any money yet, there's no point in jumping the gun.

Still, the chapter is chugging right along and with Pepper's help, Steve gets the paperwork done and faxed in by the time his last day at SI rolls around. Darcy warns them it might take quite a while for their paperwork to get reviewed, but she promises to call with updates, so that's fine. They're not on a deadline; they've got time.

"It'll be weird not working with you anymore," Tony says on Steve's last day. The marketing team already said their farewells, so now Steve's official team is throwing him a good bye and good luck party. But since the team only consists of Steve and Tony, it's pretty much just the two of them in their office, eating cake. Strictly speaking, Steve was the one who had to go pick up and pay for the cake, but it's the thought that counts and right now Tony's thinking pretty hard about how much he's going to miss seeing Steve all day.

"It's better this way," Steve assures him, happy smile on his face. "Now we can have actual conversations about how our days went. It'll brighten up our small talk, you'll see. And now when we get to have lunch together, it'll be a treat instead of just an everyday thing."

"I guess," Tony says. He's still feeling a bit depressed about the whole thing, but Steve's right. Plus, his bad mood is probably just the pregnancy hormones, so that's fine.

It's a month and a half later before anyone from NOAR calls them. During that time, Steve's worked out a business and fundraising plan, they've finished outfitting the home-office, and the website's very nearly finished. On a more personal note, they've also started looking at color schemes for the nursery, and Tony's been able to feel the pup move inside him.

Tony's not home when Steve gets the call, so he can't listen in, but Steve calls him at work the minute he hangs up with the organization and repeats the conversation word for word. Apparently, all their paperwork went through, but they want Steve and Tony to drive out to Albany so they can get walked through the next steps and meet the president and stuff.

"Cool," Tony says when Steve finally runs out of words. "See, I told you hiring Pepper was a good idea."

"You were right," Steve concedes. "For once."

"I'm right all the time," Tony says sullenly.

Steve just laughs.

So, Tony takes the next day off work and the two of them drive the few hours to Albany. Tony does have his license, even if he doesn't use it that often, so he drives them to the capital with the understanding that Steve will drive them back to the reservation afterward. The NOAR offices aren't that impressive. Relatively, it's not that large of an organization, not compared to some of the other non-profits in the city, so they don't have their own building, just rent a few floors in a multi-purpose building downtown.

They finally get to meet Darcy in the flesh, too, which is pretty cool after all the time they've spent on the phone. She's a pretty omega, and Tony would be jealous of the way Steve's eyes linger on her slightly, except then he realizes she's pretty much the girl version of him, all dark hair and quirky attitude. Yeah, okay, Steve's got a type. As long as his type is people like Tony, it's all good.

After going through all their paperwork with them, Darcy smiles sweetly and hands them a complete other stack of forms that need filled out. "Not to discourage you," she says, "but the paperwork is going to be constant from here on out. Now, do you guys want to meet the president, or what?"

She leaves them in a waiting room, where they wait for a few minutes, Steve sitting and reading a magazine and Tony pacing the room, inspecting the pictures.

"Do you smell that?" Tony asks after a while, scenting the air. Not much can overpower his pregnancy scent these days, but something's getting through right now, something familiar. He can't place it, though, not until Steve starts to growl low in his throat and Tony turns around to see a familiar face.

"Clint," he says, shocked. "Well, I'll be damned."

"I see you sold out," Clint says by way of a greeting. "Went back to taking the knot."

"I've always liked knots," Tony says defensively. "Not everyone is completely straight or completely gay, you know. And what do you even care? You're the one who thought we weren't even dating."

"I don't care," Clint says at once. "I just…" He gives Steve a sideways look. "Can we maybe do this in private?"

"I don't like this," Steve mutters.

"I can take care of myself," Tony reminds him. "It'll be fine. Just give us five minutes. Why don't you go find a vending machine and get me some juice or something."

Steve sighs. "Okay," he says, and leans in to kiss Tony gently. "I love you."

"Love you, too," Tony says automatically. When Steve's gone, he turns to Clint, crossing his arms expectantly. "Well," he demands. "What gives? What are you doing here?"

"I work here," Clint explains. "Natasha and I both do. Our latest job has been to go undercover and investigate different reservations, see how they're treating their omegas, gather evidence. Phil's writing a book and he needs first-hand accounts and stuff. I'm not supposed to talk about it until the book's out, but that's how it is. Now what are you doing here? And why are you with him?"

"We're married," Tony says, proud to be able to tell someone who wasn't there for the wedding. "And expecting. Can't you smell it on me?"

"Seemed rude to just scent you like that," Clint says, blushing slightly. "How did that even happen? I thought you couldn't stand him."

Tony fidgets. "It seems I was mistaken," he says quickly. "And, uh, on that note, it's been brought to my attention that I may have overreacted slightly when we broke up. It's just, you know, I thought you liked me."

"I did," Clint says at once. "I do. It's just, I couldn't stay, you know? There's always going to be more work to be done. Plus, I mean, there's kind of someone I've been seeing off and on. It's, uh, it's Phil, actually, you know, the president? We've got our problems, but I think this time we can make it work. It just kinda looks bad for the movement, you know, since we're both omegas. People start to think it's a gay thing instead of an omega thing. I keep telling him he's overthinking it, but you know how those leadership types are: anything and everything to keep the movement alive. But, um, anyway, enough about me. What are you guys doing here?"

"We're starting a chapter," Tony tells him. "Or we will be, if we ever get all this paperwork done."

"Yeah, it's kind of a pain, isn't it?" Clint says, grinning. "Well, hey, I won't be much help on that front, but if you ever need a hand, just give me a call and I'll see if I can hook you up with someone." His phone beeps and he looks at it briefly before smiling ruefully. "Hey, I've gotta go, but I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah," Tony says, surprised to find he doesn't have any resentment at all toward this 'wolf. "I'd like that."

It's not long after Clint's left that Steve comes back, carrying a can of juice and some cheese crackers. "What was that about?" he asks tentatively.

"Just clearing the air," Tony assures him. "Don't worry, babe, you have zero competition, trust me."

"I do," Steve says, and Tony can't help but smile.

They only wait for twenty minutes to see the president. He seems nice enough, very bland but very commanding. He certainly knows what's what and he's pleased to have Steve and Tony on board with the movement, especially because of Steve's future title. Howard, for all that he's pissed about this whole thing, hadn't had the balls to disown them, which means that one day, Steve's going to be able to make real, solid changes. Until then, they're going to work their tails off getting the pack and everyone in it ready to make those changes.

"Well," the man says at the end of the interview, "Mr. Rogers, Mr. Stark. Good to have you with us."

"Thanks," Steve says, shaking the president's hand. "I really hope we can make a difference."

"Every little bit helps," Coulson says firmly. "It won't be easy, but when it gets rough, just remember that. Every little bit helps."

The next four months are pretty rough. Tony hadn't expected a cake walk, but those first few months before they hit a groove are particularly difficult. Steve's business plan nearly falls through two separate times and it's only Pepper following through on her promise and quitting her job that saves them. Steve works long hours, trying to get the whole thing off the ground. That, compounded with Tony's increasing grouchiness as his pregnancy starts to seem endless and unbearable, puts a certain damper on their relationship. They fight and make-up, they spend nights curled around one another and days barely speaking. They finish the nursery, launch the finished website. Tony has a breakdown at work and terrorizes the other scientists. Steve yells at Pepper.

Tony's leave starts two weeks from his due date, which is a nice break and means he gets to see Steve a lot more, especially when Steve takes the entire last week off, leaving the running of the organization in Pepper's capable hands. They take the time to reconnect and get their shit together, spend some quality time with one another before the pup comes and things get hectic again. They even have some very gentle sex.

"Being a grown up is hard," Tony says one night. He's way too awkwardly pregnant to cuddle, but their heads are on the same pillow, so that counts.

"It's worth it, though," Steve says quietly. "To have this, to have you and the pup and NOAR. It's hard, but it's worth it. I wouldn't trade this for anything."

"No," Tony agrees. "Neither would I."

He shifts for the birth, because he's heard it's easier that way, but it's not until afterward, when he's human again and holding his tiny little red-skinned pup to his chest, that it really hits home. It's an omega, a boy omega, and he's absolutely perfect. Steve thinks so, too, judging by the wetness of his eyes and the way he can't stop cooing at the little thing.

"What will we name him?" Steve asks eventually. They haven't really discussed this, not in any definitive way.

"Peter," Tony says, firm and sure.

"Sound perfect," Steve says. "He's perfect."

He really, really is. He's Peter and he's an omega, and everything they're trying to do, it's all for him. The chapter, the changes, it's all for Peter, the most perfect little pup in the world. And no matter what happens, no matter how stressful life gets, that's never going to change.

Worth it, Tony thinks, definitely worth it.


End file.
